Man Sought After Fire At Meriden Restaurant

MERIDEN — A fire at Violi's Italian Restaurant at the Hunter Golf Club early Monday morning may have been caused by an electrical problem in a golf cart parked next to the building, fire officials said.

However, surveillance video shows a suspicious man outside the building before the fire, police said. The man, wearing a baseball cap and glasses, is seen carrying something that looks like a gas can, police said.

"This video is still being looked at carefully," Sgt. Darrin McKay said. The man is being considered a "person of interest," he said.

The two-alarm fire started around 3:04 a.m., according to fire officials. Five engines responded to the blaze at 688 Westfield Road.

Fire officials said the electrical wiring in the golf cart was destroyed. Firefighters had to make holes in the roof of the restaurant to vent the smoke from the building.

No one was injured in the fire.

Anyone who recognizes the man in the video footage is asked to contact police at 203-630-6318.